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I normally listen to podcasts at 1.X-2X speeds. The first time I tried to drive while listening to a podcast I almost immediately realized I couldn’t do that. The cognitive load is just not compatible with driving for me. Similar principle to having a call I think.

The other thing I see a lot of is wearing noise cancelling ear buds or over the ear headphones while driving. This is so wild to me. Most modern cars are already so ridiculously insulated as to dampen sound outside the car.

Literally what I was responding to from the OP.

Ha yes. I wasn’t even doing most of the talking. It was more of an informational work meeting. And it made be think of the number of people I’ve worked with over the years who frequently took work calls while driving.

I'm extremely puzzled. You're opposed to talking during a meal? That's probably the vast majority of dates and family gatherings.

Finally, the studies were all different and small. 12 people here, 40 people there. Many used simulators and not actual vehicles. I would love to see a study from now in actual vehicles and with the current higher quality audio. I think there's a good chance that the outcomes would be different.

I can't count how many times I've missed my exit due to hands-free phone conversations.

Its so evidently the case the first time you do it.

I noticed some time ago that if I have an extended phone conversation while driving, whether hands free or not, afterward I *do not remember anything else that happened* during that portion of the drive. That was very eye-opening about what it means for my mental state.

Same. My wife and I joke about how we need to stop talking to each other while we're both in the car so whoever is driving can see where they're going.

People generally cannot do three or more activities at one time. Driving (operating) a car and listening to music or talking with another occupant is about it. If it's an argument, that's over the line, as is talking on a mobile phone.

The article addresses that! Short answer is it’s not nearly as distracting to talk to a person who is sitting with you in the car (for probably a few different reasons)

Plus similar to driving tired, part of why I chose my route to work to avoid highways. Fastest road I drive on that route is 50

I have driven a California-Illinois-California via I-80 route many times. 455 miles of Nebraska, few inclines or bends and I never had any trouble with boredom. Driving was the name of the game. I kept right and was stimulated by the traffic (or lack thereof).

My notifications are usually off when I'm driving. It's music time 😊 Honestly, traffic doesn't really bother me anymore, and I look at driving as tiny little Me Times to just be chill. I'll call you back in 20 minutes when I get home like people have since the olden days 🤣

Preach

If I have to reverse or parallel park then the radio is getting shut off cuz I need to focus on only one thing and that's not crashing the car

I cut back on driving because other drivers kept trying to drive into me. I could dodge them on open roads. But good luck escaping people running red lights and stop signs when you are in bumper to bumper traffic. There is nowhere to go. They do not see you waving or hear the horn. Bam t-bone.

I live for the “boredom” of a good drive.

While I do have a hands-free set in the car, I don't like spending long on it at all, and certainly when there's a busier/more demanding road I will usually hang up. I can feel my concentration on the road being sapped. Not good!

My employer specifically states our phones should be off if driving on company business

That tracks. From my own experience a front seat talker is far less of a distraction than back seat. There’s something about talking to a disembodied voice that makes your brain want to fill in visual gaps, gets your eyes inside your head instead of on the road.

💯 I truly cannot comprehend how these designs are allowed.

One thing almost nobody mentions is how we have an "internal/external mind's eye". If somebody on the phone with a driver asks "Where did you leave the TV remote?" that internal camera turns on as they try to picture where it is, and the external camera watching traffic TURNS OFF.

Very true I know a girl who hit 3 cars while talking on the phone ☹️...and the thing is she's an excellent driver so she learnt an expensive lesson.

One of the biggest take aways i hope my students get from cog psych.

Agree 💯 The biggest distraction isn’t the holding of the phone but where the driver’s attention is. It’s different when it’s listening to music since you are just consuming it rather than paying attention to what the artist is saying…

I’ve been trying to spread the word about this for ages.

This seems to be addressed; sorry for the question.

Pretty sure I saw someone (in something like a Tesla) in a Teams call while driving.

That's why I only text when I'm driving. (This is a joke)

Agree. But "hands free" is great cover when you are just loudly having a conversation with yourself!

The problem with talking on the phone while driving is that the person on the other end demands your 100% attention.

The conversation would drift so she'd describe something and expect me to rattle off a spatial relationship from memory and MA'AM I NEED TO BE USING THOSE NEURONS ON DIRECTING THE METAL BOX GOING 45 MPH RIGHT NOW. I do not comprehend the people who can give directions over the phone while driving.

I can listen to podcasts while cycling but I absolutely cannot do a phone call while cycling

As someone who has never been able to have a conversation while driving, I concur with this 100%.

I don't even talk to passengers...

I guess I was saying that driving a car is inherently dangerous. Sorry if it came across differently.

Or watching TV on their phones, but city traffic can be slow and boring, not sure I mind this.

Lol!

I admittedly don’t use a ton of ride shares, but I’ve been in a fair number and I don’t think I’ve ever had the drive be a on a call. Which, in retrospect, is surprising given today’s cell phone culture.

As an Uber driver I would like to apologize on behalf of all of us. I'm never on my phone while driving -- advantages of being an introvert I guess 🤯

Self-driving cars coooooulllld theoretically be an advantage in that respect, I guess.

I’ve often wondered how it’d be to be so important, to be so in demand, to be so sought after that others would want to listen to me on a phone call for minutes at a time.

This. I watch a lot of dashcam video compilations, & the number of cammers who just chat hands-free while driving is insane to me. And then if they get into a (even minor) accident, they're trying to manage the emotions of the person on the phone in addition to the situation they're now in... wild.

I really liked "half away"! Either way, I think that's spot-on

I think this is *key*. If I'm not the phone and have to stop to better focus on the 3 folks cutting me off and you're not there, you don't know why there is dead air. If you're in the car with me, you know exactly what's going on.

Yeah, that seems right, anecdotally (the anecdote is my own brain). Probably more energy spent analyzing tone, imagining facial expressions, etc. It also feels more ok to pause a conversation in person if, like, you're behind a giant truck full of logs.

Interesting! I have aphantasia, so there is no picturing people in my head, so I wasn't aware people did this while talking on the phone.

Driving is for listening to music.